


le soleil, la lune, et les étoiles

by tsukishimas



Series: rarepairs [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, french-speaking tsukki, lil shit hinata, snarky wingman kags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-19 22:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3627048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukishimas/pseuds/tsukishimas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>"je t'aime," he mutters bitterly.</p>
  <p>"what's it mean?" hinata asks, and there's a large, curious smile taking over his face.</p>
  <p>kei huffs and tries to make himself believe he's not blushing. "nothing."</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	le soleil, la lune, et les étoiles

**Author's Note:**

> ("the sun, the moon, and the stars" is the translation of the title.)
> 
> why did i do this?? probs bc i'm a giant nerd. so here's some tsukihina because they deserve so much more love and it's basically just a mess. help me.
> 
> (translations will be at the end of the work in the notes. i'm obviously not fluent so if you find grammar mistakes holla at me ok.)
> 
> follow me on [tumblr](http://yurrikatsuki.tumblr.com)
> 
> hq rarepair week day 2: **language**

His mother was the one who suggested he take French in the first place, completely disregarding the fact that every single student was either taking Spanish, Chinese, or German, leaving just a few minority taking French — and it included him. He was dismissive of the class in the beginning, because who the hell cares about some language no one speaks? (He was proven wrong about many things, this being just one of them.)

 

The class was interesting though, and there was no denying it — it was engaging and enthralling to be there, even if at first he didn't understand a single thing the teacher said. When he grasped the basics, everything became easier — things clicked, like a pathway forming in his brain clearly paving the directions from Japanese to French. Yamaguchi would tell him the homework assignment he missed in German, and Kei would respond smugly back in French. 

 

(" _Je lui ai compris le premier fois_ ," he'd say, and Yamaguchi would give him a confused look and complain about not understanding what he said.

 

Just the way he liked it.)

 

 

//

 

 

"Tsukishima, you speak French?" 

 

Hinata's eyes are widening so big that it seems possible they could pop out of his sockets. His mouth is set in a large _o_ as be marvels up at Kei.

 

Kei stares blankly down at the puff of orange hair and pair of eyes. "Yeah."

 

"That's so cool!" Hinata exclaims excitedly. "I don't know anyone who's bilingual — you must be really smart."

 

He shrugs dismissively, ignoring the way the compliment makes his heart feel warm. "It's not that difficult." 

 

"Can you say something?" Hinata asks brightly with pleading eyes. "Please? Just one little phrase?" 

 

Kei narrows his eyes, his mouth a thin frown. " _Tu es ennuueux_." (He could have said anything and the other boy would never know.)

 

Hinata tilts his head to the side and stares at him with unnecessarily large puppy eyes. "What does that mean?" 

 

"It means _you're annoying_ ," Kei snaps, and turns his back, mumbling as he stalks away.  _"Mais tu es mignon."_

 

(He doesn't translate that one for Hinata.)

 

 

//

 

 

Hinata immediately takes an interest in Kei's French-speaking abilities, and he isn't sure whether or not he finds it incredibly endearing and sweet or if it annoys him to the ends of the earth. Every day he's pestered by the short boy begging to hear him speak in French, to which he either refuses of replies with an insult (with the occasional compliment that he never translates). He's being an asshole and he knows it, especially since he spent his entire childhood being picked on for learning a "lame" language instead of the ones all his classmates and friends took; and now there's somebody who is actually genuinely interested in this language he's come to love so dearly, and he refuses to acknowledge him. Maybe it's because Hinata is irritating most of the time, and he takes a hyperactive interest in most anything. Or maybe it's because Kei's half in love with him.

 

He bets on the latter.

 

("Say something French," Hinata demands, and Kei glares.

 

"I'm not your personal French-speaking robot," he replies curtly.

 

"Just a little something," the other boy pleads, his eyes shining with hope and Kei thinks he really hates him. He really hates Hinata Shouyou, but he's in love with him as well.

 

 _"Je t'aime,"_ he mutters bitterly, because he can and no one but him understands. 

 

"What's it mean?" Hinata asks, and there's a large, curious smile taking over his face.

 

Kei huffs and tries to make himself believe he's not blushing. "Nothing.")

 

 

//

 

 

Kageyama comes up to him the next day after practice, after everyone is on their way home, with a strange, unreadable expression on his face. He stands and fidgets awkwardly until Kei looks up and meets his eye. 

 

"What do you want?" he grumbles.

 

Kageyama clears his throat before speaking carefully. "Do you love Hinata?" 

 

Kei nearly chokes on his own saliva. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snaps defensively. 

 

"I heard you talking to him yesterday." Kageyama is still speaking calmly, his eyes focused on Kei's. "You told him, ' _je t'aime_ ', didn't you?"

 

He can physically feel all the blood drain from his face as he stares, mortified, at his teammate. "You speak French?"

 

Kageyama shakes his head, and Kei thinks he can see an amused smile on his lips. "No, but I still understand basic phrases like that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Hinata could, too."

 

Kei's hands are shaking, and he wrings them together in an attempt to stop it. "He asked what it meant. I don't think he knows." ( _He doesn't know,_ he tells himself over and over again.)

 

Kageyama laughs dryly and rolls his eyes. "Dumbass Hinata." He quickly puts back on a serious expression and crosses his arms. "Maybe he doesn't know, but why wouldn't you want him to?" 

 

Kei snarls and retorts sarcastically, "Gee, I have no idea. It's not like it's embarrassing as fuck and I won't be completely rejected." 

 

"I'm pretty sure Hinata has been in love with you forever," Kageyama states, and Kei startles. 

 

"What — how would you know?" He glowers at the dark-haired boy, unsure whether or not he's being screwed around with or if Kageyama is being genuine.

 

"Every day when we walk home from practice he doesn't shut up about you," Kageyama tells him, and his heart flutters. "It's kind of horrible. And he lights up when you talk to him. Why do you think he keeps bugging you about French?" 

 

Kei clicks his tongue and feels his palms sweating from being clasped together. "I assumed it was because he's usually annoying like that."

 

Kageyama shrugs. "You're not wrong about that. But it's different when he's around you." 

 

Kei tries to picture all the annoying things Hinata has done to him, all with intentions of romance behind them. He can't imagine it.

 

"You're not fucking with me, are you?" he asks carefully.

 

Kageyama seems amused. "If that was what I was trying to do, I wouldn't have told you anything at all."

 

Kei exhales slowly. "Alright then." 

 

As he turns to leave, he hears Kageyama call to his back, "Just remember to thank me later."

 

 

//

 

 

"Tsukishima, can I tell you about something?" Hinata's voice says from somewhere behind him.

 

Kei takes a long sip from his water bottle and doesn't turn around when he answers. "You just did. Is that all?" 

 

"No, uh, that wasn't the thing."

 

Kei sets the bottle on the bench tiredly and turns to face him. "What is it, then?" he snaps.

 

Hinata's expression turns timid and embarrassed, and for a moment Kei thinks he's going to chicken out and run off, but he inhales slowly, deeply and opens his mouth. "I did some research on French the other day and looked up some translations."

 

Kei stiffens, his mind whirring with possibilities of how this could end (mostly about how _badly_ this could end). "Yeah?"

 

Hinata quirks a small, shy smile. "I learned that _je t'aime_ means _I love you_."

 

He thinks he might die at this precise moment, and, honestly, it seems like the more desirable option compared to continuing this conversation. 

 

"It does," he manages to say.

 

Hinata grins sweetly as he rocks back and forth on his heels and toes, looking much too pleased with himself. "I learned how to say something else, too."

 

He knows he's turning red and his knees feel weak and _yeah, he'd definitely rather die_. "What's that?"

 

Before he can blink, Hinata grabs a hold of his shirt with both his hands, pulls him down with more force than Kei could've expected, and kisses him on the lips, quick and sweet.

 

" _Moi aussi_ ," he whispers. 

 

(Kei is almost certain that he's dead.)

 

 

//

 

 

"Hey, Tsukishima?" 

 

Kei hums in response to the other boy, already knowing what he's going to be asked.

 

"Can you talk to me in French?" 

 

He smiles to himself because of course that's what Hinata was going to ask; it's all he ever asks for. "What's with the thing you have for French?" 

 

Hinata shakes his head side to side, whipping soft strands into Kei's face (but he doesn't mind). "I don't have a thing for French, just when you speak it. It's..." He trails off momentarily, searching for the right word, and then says, "It's relaxing. It makes me feel calm." And then he smiles brightly.

 

Kei feels his heart constrict at the pure joy on the boy's face and says the first thing that comes to his mind. _"Tu me fais sentir enchanté."_

 

"What's it mean?" Hinata asks, like always. (There's seldom occasions when Kei actually tells him what he's saying, because the things he says are embarrassingly soft and cheesy and so _unlike_ him.) But Kei tells him this time.

 

"I said, _you make me feel enchanted_."

 

Hinata's cheeks dust a pale pink; Kei feels himself smiling, and he reaches over to grasp the smaller boy's hand and squeezes it tight.

 

_"Quand je suis avec toi, le monde devient plus lumineux. Tu brille comme les étoiles."_

 

Hinata gives that familiar questioning look whenever he says something French. "That was long."

 

He nods. _"When I'm with you, the world is brighter. You shine like the stars."_

 

The ginger-haired boy begins to giggle. "You're way more cheesy and romantic than you seem, Tsukishima." 

 

Kei tries his hardest to frown, but he's unsuccessful. "If you tell anyone, I'll — "

 

"I won't," Hinata interrupts, laughter escaping from his lips. "I promise." He kisses Kei on the cheek and whispers so quietly that he almost doesn't hear it: _"Je t'aime."_

 

Kei sighs in content with a smile ghosting across his lips. He runs a hand slowly through the orange locks of hair and closes his eyes.

 

"Me too."

 

//

 

 

"Hey." 

 

Kageyama gives him a sideways glance. "Hey." 

 

Kei shifts from foot to foot, unsure of how to go about what he wants to say. Kageyama is staring at him blankly. 

 

"Well?" he prompts, verging on annoyed. 

 

Kei sighs and pushes his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose. "I just wanted to...you know. Thanks."

 

Kageyama breaks out into an almost frightening smirk. _"De rien."_

 

 

//

 

 

(Hinata Shouyou is the sun, Tsukishima Kei is the moon, and they give each other the stars.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> je lui ai compris le premier fois = i understood him the first time
> 
> tu es ennuyeux = you're annoying 
> 
> mais tu es mignon = but you're cute
> 
> je t'aime = i love you
> 
> moi aussi = me too
> 
> tu me fais sentir enchanté = you make me feel enchanted
> 
> quand je suis avec toi, le monde devient plus lumineux = when i'm with you, the world becomes brighter
> 
> tu brille comme les étoiles = you shine like the stars
> 
> de rien = you're welcome


End file.
